Potato-planting machine.



V. PAULITSOH. POTATO PLANTING MACHINE. APPLIGAJI'ION FILED MAY 4, 1909.

Patentd Apr. 19, 1910.

VALENTIN PAULITSCH, OF V6LKERMARKT, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

POTATO-PLANTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Application filed. May 4, 1909. Serial No. 493,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, VALENTIN PAULITSCH, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at Volkermarkt, Austria- Hungary, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-PlantingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

Numerous trials have been made to produce a potato-planting machinewhich deposits the potatoes automatically and at regular intervals inthe furrows. The potato-planting machines of known constructionsgenerally comprise an endless band with buckets which take each onepotato from the reservoir and deposit it in the drillpipe from which thepotatoes drop freely into the furrow. It often happens that the potatoeswhen dropping into the furrow rebound or roll along the furrow so thatthey are planted quite irregularly. This inconvenience becomes the moreapparent the quicker the machine is moved.

The present invention has for its object to improve the construction ofthe potato planting machine in such a manner that the potatoes aredeposited in absolutely regular intervals in the furrows even when themachine is moving forward at a comparatively great speed.

The improved potato-planting machine is shown in the accompanyingdrawings by way of example in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section.Fig. 2 is a top plan of the machine; Fig. 3 is a section on line 11 ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a modified construction of the device which closesthe lower end of the potato reservoir. Fig. 5 represents a modifiedconstruction of the device for taking the potatoes from the reservoir.

The machine according to the present invention is drawn along thefurrows in any suitable manner. At the rear end of the machine thedepositing-wheel a is revolubly mounted which has at its peripherycurved blades or paddles Z) which act upon the buckets d of the endlesschain 0 so that said chain is moved in an opposite direction from thewheel. The buckets (Z are thus forced through the locking-device e ofthe bottom plate f of the potato-reservoir 9 where they take one potatowhich is deposited in the compartment h of the wheel a in which entersthe bucket cl as soon as it has arrived at the upper end of the endlesschain. The compartments h are formed by the paddles Z) which are curvedat the inner end and provided with end parts bent so that they runconcentric to the hub of wheel a. Said end parts of the paddles whichform the outer rim of wheelo have each an opening 2' which is ofcircular, angular or elliptical shape and permits, on the one hand, thebucket d to enter the compartment h and, on the other hand, the potatowhich has been deposited in said compartment to drop out into the furrowas soon as the corresponding part of wheel a has begun the second halfof its revolution. All the potatoes are thus deposited in the furrow atuniform distance the one from the other and they drop into the furrow invertical direction and from such little height that they do not reboundor roll off even if the machine is moving forward at great speed.

The locking device 6 for the bottom of the potato reservoir consists oftwo angle-irons 72 whose horizontal parts Z are guided between guideribs m. Springs 12 serve for pressing the edges of the angle-irons 70together so that the opening in the bottom plat-e f of reservoir 9 isclosed. The buckets (Z push the angle-irons 70 back against the actionof springs 17. so that, as soon as a bucket has passed through, theopening is closed again.

Fig. 4: shows a modified construction of the locking-device according towhich 'the opening in the bottom plate f is barred by an arm 0 whichprevents the potatoes from dropping through the opening. In this casethe buckets d have each a slot p which slides along said arm 0 when thebucket passes through the bottom plate 7. The upper part 9 of the potatoreservoir is sepa rated from the lower part 9 by means of an adjustableslide 1 to regulate the amount of potatoes admitted to part 9.

In order to prevent obstruction of the opening by means of which part Qof the potato reservoir communicates with part 9 movable fingers s areprovided which are hinged with one end to the wall of the reservoir andwhich are intermittently moved up and down by means of a mechanism ofconvenient known construction which is not particularly shown in thedrawings.

In lieu of the endlesss bucket chain I may use, as shown in Fig. 5,revoluble arms w bent at convenient angles and at the free ends of whichthe buckets d are fixed. Said arms are revolved by means of a chain-gear'0 from the axle of the depositing-wheel a.

The potato-planting machine as hereinbefore described and shown in thedrawings is destined to be operated by hand. It can be easily adaptedfor mechanical power by adding a plow-share mounted below thepotato-reservoir g, two earth-boards or eoverers behind thedepositing-wheel a and a plowbeak.

It is advisable to use two endless chains 0 which are inclined the onetoward the other and have the buckets d fixed so that the buckets of onechain are at the middle of the interval between two adjacent buckets ofthe other chain. Thus a slow motion of the buckets is'secured whereby itis insured that each bucket takes one potato.

The device which carries the buckets is preferably mounted so that itcan be thrown out of gear with the depositing wheel a.

I claim An improved potato-planting machine comprising in combinationwith the potatoreservoir, a spring influenced trap which closes thebottom end of said reservoir, a bucket chain in said reservoir forlifting the potatoes one by one out of said reservoir, the depositingwheel at the rear end of the machine below the upper end of said bucketchain, curved paddles of said depositing wheel, prolongated front endsof said paddles bent so as to form a second rim of the depositing wheeland having each a l0ngitudinal slot for the admission of the buckets ofsaid chain and through which falls the potato when said part of thewheel begins to ascend from the lowest point of its path, so that thepotato drops into the furrow without rebounding, substantially asdescribed and illustrated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

VALENTIN PAULITSCH. Witnesses HEINRICH SoHELLBAoH, ROBERT W.HEINGARTNER.

